All The Time In The World
by bladecatcher86
Summary: The Chosen King and the Oracle take a day off from being the King and Oracle to simply enjoy each other's company before duty calls again. [A one-shot inspired by the Carnival DLC. Set around Chapter 9 of FFXV but finish the game before you read; major spoilers are hinted at. Rated T for profanity and some suggestive humor.]


**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own _Final Fantasy XV_ , its characters, or any other intellectual property belonging to Square Enix. Nor do I own any other pieces of pop culture that I reference here.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** The following has been rated **T** for profanity and some suggestive humor.

Just in time to be very late for Valentine's Day! And the end of the Moogle Chocobo Carnival DLC! That's what happens when you're as slow a writer as I am, I guess.

* * *

 _A ring don't mean nothing_

 _If you can't haul the weight,_

 _And some of them won't even try._

 _But I won't leave you high and dry._

\- Thrice, "The Weight"

* * *

 ** _all the time in the world_**

* * *

 _It's like I'm watching a painting come to life,_ Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret thought, gazing out her window at the crowds flowing through the streets of Altissia a few stories below. And despite her better judgment, she longed to be a part of that hustle and bustle. Merchants darted to and fro, peddling their wares and souvenirs to passersby. Parents led their children by the hand, tugging them along so they wouldn't be stopping at every attraction or display in their path. She could see a few people scanning the crowd in search of any familiar faces, phones glued to their ears and hands serving as makeshift visors blocking out the midday sun. She spotted a couple sitting on a bench admiring one of the many waterfalls upon which the city had been built, taking turns skipping pebbles along the water. And of course she couldn't miss the gentleman – or possibly lady – in the fluffy white Moogle suit, dancing around and waving at the children, or all of the bright yellow banners waving in the breeze all over town.

That last sight was the only one that struck her as particularly out of the ordinary, given her observations of daily Altissian life since her arrival. If she remembered correctly this was the last day of the Moogle Chocobo Carnival, one of the city's most popular tourist events. All of Altissia was decorated for the occasion, and there were activities and souvenir shops set up everywhere. There were Chocobo races to participate in and games to play at the arena, along with numerous fishing spots for visitors who wanted a quieter experience. And each night the festivities were capped off with a magnificent fireworks show. Families from all over the world flocked to the carnival every year.

 _Of all the times to have to call Leviathan,_ she lamented, hoping more time could be bought to let the common folk evacuate before she commenced the rite and the Niflheim Empire arrived.

This rite, like the rite of Titan that had preceded it, was among her responsibilities as the Oracle of Eos, a role that had been passed down among the women of her bloodline for many generations. Next on her agenda was to awaken the sea goddess from her slumber and request a covenant; as the only human capable of understanding the language of the gods, only she could carry out this task. And as the Chosen King of Light, only Noctis Lucis Caelum, who had recently arrived in Altissia with his usual trio of comrades in tow, could defeat the goddess in battle to earn that pact. All of this was in the hope that they could put a permanent end to the Starscourge, a plague upon the world created by the fire god Ifrit that consumed light, lengthened the night, and created hideous monsters known as daemons.

In short, the fate of the entire world relied upon two young people carrying out duties that had been prophesized thousands of years before they were even born. During her travels, people would ask Lunafreya (or Luna for short) how she coped with such a colossal burden. She would politely answer that she had merely accepted her unchangeable duty and welcomed the opportunity to end such a long-enduring threat to the world. But in truth, she herself sometimes wondered how she managed it.

It didn't help much that she hardly had anyone to confide in about such matters. Her brother Ravus had joined the Imperial Army years ago and now served as its commander; the frequency of his visits decreased the higher he rose in the ranks. Both of her parents had been killed when the Empire had conquered her homeland of Tenebrae. Her two dogs, the white Pryna and the black-and-white Umbra, were the only other remnants of her family. Gentiana, the mysterious raven-haired woman whose service as a messenger from the gods disguised her otherworldly true nature, had been a lifelong companion and unfailing advisor, though her role often had her fulfilling tasks elsewhere nowadays.

And then there was Noctis, the Crown Prince of Lucis. They had met as children after he'd been attacked by a daemon called the Marilith, a near-death experience that had left him in danger of Starscourge infection and thus in need of the Oracle's healing powers. He was a bit quiet at first, but in time they had become good friends. They hadn't seen each other in a long time, but they still kept in touch with a leather notebook that Umbra would deliver back and forth. Luna had come to treasure that book above all her other material possessions, having written things to Noctis that she had never told another soul, to which he would respond with confessions of his own. Most of their messages were considerably lighter in tone, however; he had a knack for making her laugh, something her duty as Oracle seldom gave her the chance to do. They would also send pictures from time to time, though his were more varied and interesting than hers (he and his friends, who also sometimes appeared in the pictures, seemed like quite the outgoing and adventurous lot) because she'd lived under Niflheim's thumb for so long. Still, with each new message from him she found herself longing more and more to see his face, to hear his voice, to reach out and touch him just to know for sure that he was really there.

The two of them had been engaged to wed as part of a peace agreement between Niflheim and Lucis, and Luna hoped this announcement had excited him as much as she'd been. So naturally this had turned out to be a ruse on the Empire's part, the first step in their successful invasion of Lucis, because apparently she and Noctis could never have nice things. She'd been in the Crown City of Insomia at the time, having been brought there by the Niffs, and was ultimately able to make her escape with the help of Nyx Ulric, one of the only members of Kingsglaive who _wasn't_ a traitor. After that she'd made her way to Altissia mostly on her own. But she'd been haunted ever since by the memory of King Regis, Noct's father, being slain before her very eyes by the same man who'd killed her mother. And then there was the matter of what she and Noctis would both have to do, what they'd have to _sacrifice,_ to stop the Starscourge…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door, a startling sound that made her jump and nearly knock the model ship off the cabinet beside the window. The sound got the attention of both of her dogs, who had been napping peacefully in a sunny patch near the other window. She waited a moment to see if it would happen again, to be sure she wasn't just hearing things – and sure enough, the mystery guest knocked again.

 _It must be First Secretary Claustra paying me a visit,_ she thought as she weaved her way around the big red chairs en route to the door. _The Imperials wouldn't knock._ She knew this from personal experience.

She opened the door and saw that her visitor was not, in fact, the First Secretary, but she didn't mind that one bit. It was a young man with spiky black hair, clad in a black T-shirt with black pants and black boots; as far as Luna knew it was the only color in his entire wardrobe.

"Hi Luna," Noctis said, a shy grin forming on his face. "Remember me?"

How could she ever forget?

"Noctis!" she exclaimed, and immediately her joy overcame her sense of decorum and she hugged him.

"Nice to see you too," he said, a bit taken aback, though his arms did soon find their way around her in return.

"It's been so long…"

"Too long."

"How did you find this place?" she said, releasing him from the embrace and relaxing herself a bit. "I don't recall ever telling you where I was staying."

"I had a little help from the First Secretary," he explained. "And I will owe her quite the list of favors because of it."

Interesting. First Secretary Camelia Claustra had struck Luna as rather cold whenever they spoke, though her emphasis on the safety of Altissia and its citizens did suggest a more caring nature. Noctis must have made quite the impression on her.

"So," he continued, "mind if I come in?"

"Oh, by all means!" she said, stepping out of his way. "Make yourself comfortable. Would you perhaps like a cup of tea?"

"No thanks," Noctis answered, and he started scratching Pryna behind her ears. "Hey there. Haven't seen you in a while. It's Pryna, right?"

Luna nodded, placing a hand on a chair to steady herself while she continued to recover from the surprise. _He's here,_ she thought, her heart and mind both racing. _He's really here._

"Hey buddy!" Noctis said, having turned his attention to Umbra to shake the black dog's paw. "Must be nice having a break from running the Puppy Express, huh?"

"Not exactly," said Luna. "You know Umbra. He's always been an explorer. So what brings you here today?"

"Honestly?" he said, standing upright now and looking over at her. "The same thing that kept me going all the way to Altissia: I wanted to see you, and talk to you face to face." He paused for a moment and let out a nervous little sigh. "And, um… I didn't want to wait until the Leviathan rite to do it."

"We do have an awful lot of catching up to do, don't we?" she asked.

"There's only so much we can fit in that notebook, after all."

For a moment Luna felt a pang of regret over not making more of an effort to see Noctis in person. How could she care so much about someone for so long and see so little of them? It didn't make any sense. Yes, the Empire had kept her under lock and key from the day they conquered Tenebrae. But once she'd made her escape from Insomnia during the invasion of Lucis, she was technically free to go anywhere and do as she pleased as long as the Niffs were away. Just because she had obligations as the Oracle didn't mean she had to perpetually keep herself a step ahead of Noctis and his crew too. She didn't have a phone, though even if she did she didn't know his number, but she could have sent Umbra with a message telling him she was safe and to meet her somewhere in Lucis. She could have healed his wounds, or helped him prepare for the Trial of Titan, or been there to help him find Ramuh's glowing trees. Or she could have simply talked to him the way they were doing now. But instead she kept pressing forward for the sake of her duty, and now he was with her and all she could think about was how this should have happened sooner.

"Thank you for sticking with it all this time," she said. "I realize it may not be the most convenient way to keep in touch, but I unfortunately don't have a phone."

"That's so unfair," he said. "If the Chosen King can have his own phone, then why can't the Oracle?"

"Tradition demands it, I'm afraid," she replied, as if that was an acceptable excuse.

He left her answer alone rather than probing any farther into the subject, much to her relief. "Does tradition also require you to keep yourself cooped up in here all day?" he asked.

"No, that would be for my safety." It was also something of a habit. Luna didn't get out much, not even back home in Tenebrae. On the rare occasion she did it was usually to water the royal-blue sylleblossom flowers that grew around Fenestala Manor, basking in the cool mountain air as if the Niffs weren't watching her every move.

"In that case," Noctis said with a little grin, "I suppose it would be frowned upon if you were to, say, come outside and enjoy the festivities with me."

"Most likely," she said. "Aside from the crowds potentially swarming toward me everywhere I go, people might see it as a reckless shirking of my respon—"

 _STOP,_ something in her brain demanded. _Were you not paying attention to what he said at all?_

And so there was a short pause while she properly processed exactly what he was saying to her. Difficult to understand these things when most people you talked to put you on a pedestal and addressed you with nothing but formalities and praise, and the only person who was around you every day was the messenger to the gods and therefore not exactly an ideal source of normal human conversation.

"Did you just invite me to the carnival, Noctis?" Luna asked.

"I believe I just did, Luna," he said with a confident grin – one that quickly lost that confidence when she didn't answer him right away. "I mean, if you can't, or you, um… don't want to, then, uh… well, you know, I guess we could stay here and get something to eat or, uh… you know, whatever."

She laughed softly at his nervous stammering, relieved that she wasn't the only one feeling awkward about this long-awaited reunion. She glanced across the room to remind herself that she'd already left Umbra and Pryna plenty of food and water and spotted Gentiana near the bedroom door, her eyes shut (as they so often were) and her smile thin and warm. Gentiana didn't speak a single word; instead she simply nodded her approval and left the room.

"I'd love to," Luna answered, positively beaming.

* * *

Despite all their talk about how much they had to catch up on, both Noctis and Luna were rather quiet as they made their way down to the city streets. Neither of them were quite sure where to even begin. So much had transpired since the last time they'd met that it seemed overwhelming, like each was trying to read a thick novel when they understood the gist of the story but didn't have the _full_ story. She was slower to descend the stairs, her choice in footwear proving almost as much of a hindrance as her weakened muscles. But he didn't seem to mind, keeping only a few steps ahead and offering his hand to help her maintain balance.

"I'll never understand why women wear heels," Noctis said, his tone light and slightly teasing. "They seem so uncomfortable."

"I've grown used to them," said Luna, silently choosing to only discuss her condition with him if she deemed the subject unavoidable.

Even once they reached the streets, the awkwardness persisted. Perhaps it was simply a matter of enjoying the silence, or perhaps it hadn't quite sunk in yet that this wasn't a dream. But it was still frustrating for each, unbeknownst to the other, to finally be together again with so much to discuss and instead barely saying anything. The noise of the crowd made conversation difficult anyway, so they simply weaved their way around oncoming tourists and townspeople in search of a more open place. He had taken her hand to guide her through the oncoming masses, and she relished the chance for the simple public display of affection, even if it was only so they wouldn't be separated. But it also made her nervous as she considered the possibility of someone recognizing them as the prince and Oracle. Noctis assured her that he'd been out and about all over Altissia without anyone realizing his identity, and that he didn't even have such issues when walking the rustic streets of Lestallum, a town within his own kingdom.

He had a point. But he wasn't the one with his portrait on display in a place where people passed every day and could easily acquaint themselves with his face.

They walked over a bridge and the path opened up a bit, allowing the crowds more space to walk and the noise of their chatter to quiet down somewhat. Luna felt relieved about that, hoping that this might present a better opportunity to chat with her fiancé. But it also occurred to her that she couldn't blend in quite as easily now, so she walked with her head down. Maybe she should have asked Noctis to wait while she picked out a change of clothes. The white dress, the high heels, her blond hair pulled back and pinned up – this was what she usually wore in public as the Oracle. It wasn't as if she didn't own any casual attire. Surely she could have found something nice.

She still would have worn her hair the same way though. Whenever she let it fall to her shoulders she thought it made her look a bit plain, and given her current company she certainly didn't want that.

"Hey," Noctis said, derailing her train of thought, "you want any souvenirs?"

Her gaze followed his pointed finger and found a display of T-shirts and festive outfits. Not exactly the casual change of clothing she'd had in mind, but at least it was something. She nodded and followed him over to the souvenir stand.

 _LOOK SHARP ERRYDAY,_ a sign said overhead. She wondered if it was a typo.

They split up to search through the racks of clothing. Noctis made a beeline for what looked like a bunch of black vests – of course he'd be drawn to that color – while Luna simply went to the nearest rack. It was loaded with cheap clearance T-shirts with snarky slogans written on them that she didn't find all that funny. There was one that joked about how if you could read it then a woman (referred to as a female dog) must have fallen off the Chocobo. Another one read, "I went to Altissia and all my boyfriend got me was this lousy T-shirt (and now he owes me money)." Finally she saw one that simply read, "68: I owe you one," and it took her some time to decipher the innuendo; she hastily cast that one aside, blushing with embarrassment and wondering why anyone would ever wear it (blissfully ignorant of a man wearing that exact shirt passing the souvenir stand behind her), and moved on to the next rack. No wonder those shirts were on clearance.

This time she came across some shirts that she considered much more acceptable. The design prominently featured the carnival logo, a crest with a puffy white Moogle with a big red nose riding a yellow Chocobo. The front showed a close-up of a Moogle's face, and the back showed a close-up of a Chocobo's. The shirt also came with a hat showing the Chocobo face on the front and the Moogle face on the back, and a thin rod extended from the top with a red Moogle pom-pom.

"These shirts are adorable," Luna said to no one in particular as she sifted through the rack. "None in my size though…"

"Hey Luna," Noctis suddenly called over, "what do you think of this?"

She looked up at him and was baffled by what she saw. He was wearing a festive black vest with a red ascot around his neck and an oversized black sombrero with a Chocobo pattern on the underside of the brim. He looked absolutely ridiculous and seemed to know it, looking back at her expectantly with a goofy grin plastered across his face. She responded by immediately bursting into laughter.

"What in the world are you wearing?" she asked, raising a hand over her mouth to muffle her guffaws.

"Oh, you think I look silly, huh?" he said, folding his arms and pretending to be offended. "Whatever. I'm sure I could find plenty of other women in town who think I look positively _dashing._ "

Three young women happened to be walking by at that moment and spotted Noctis. They didn't seem to know who he was, thankfully. Instead they simply pointed and laughed at his ensemble as they passed. He didn't care much about that; those women were cute, sure, but there was only one woman in Altissia – in all of Eos, really – that he cared about impressing.

"Statistically, I suppose _someone_ has to," Luna teased.

"Laugh all you want," said Noctis, mockingly admiring himself in the nearest mirror and adjusting the hat. "But I think the sombrero in particular lends my look a certain… _je ne sais quoi._ "

"Noctis, that phrase literally means 'I don't know what.'"

"I guess I said it in the proper context then," he said. With that, he took off the sombrero and came over to the rack Luna had been looking at.

"Here," she said, taking a Chocobo hat from the rack, "this will get you the attention of every woman in Altissia for sure."

She put the hat on Noctis's head and laughed at the combination of his bewildered facial expression and the Moogle pom-pom wobbling back and forth atop his head. The funniest part was that she'd seen people in the street wearing the same hat who didn't look anywhere near as funny. Maybe Noctis just looked silly wearing any kind of hat.

"Oh yeah," he said, "this'll make me a real hit with the ladies. I hear mismatched clothing is all the rage these days."

"Wouldn't want you to fall behind the trends."

"No, we wouldn't," he agreed. "And that goes for you too, so…"

He produced the sombrero from behind his back, placed it on Luna's head, and led her over to the mirror. They both had a good laugh at Luna's reflection. Somehow the sombrero looked even more ridiculous on her, clashing spectacularly with her lily-white dress and fancy heels.

"All right, that's enough of that," Noctis said. "Let's see what else this carnival has to offer."

* * *

Their next stop was at a café located in a square at approximately the heart of the city, found by passing through a grand stone arch surrounded by signs advertising various carnival attractions. The café itself was an outdoor diner with a small kitchen surrounded by a counter where customers would wait for their meals. Bottles of wine circled each of the columns holding up a big black awning, and tables with umbrellas were scattered about the square. The café's talkative manager went from customer to customer, making small talk and collecting orders. A Moogle mascot stood across from the kitchen asking visitors trivia questions about Moogles, and there was a Chocobo mascot nearby who kept making people – usually children – mimic its silly dance. Luna couldn't help but smile at the sheer cuteness of it all.

"Care to make some easy gil, Noctis?" she teased. "I'll give you all the money in my pocket if you go over there and do that Chocobo dance."

"Oh yeah," Noctis answered with a smirk as he looked her over. "I can tell you're hiding so much money in all those pockets in that _dress_ you're wearing."

She laughed at that as they joined the line for the café. "No pulling the wool over your eyes, is there?"

"Tell you what," he continued. "I'll double your nothing if _you_ do it."

The café only sold Moogle and Chocobo themed treats and snacks, which was all right as it turned out they'd both had a late breakfast anyway. Luna ordered a slice of Kupoberry Cheesecake to satisfy her sweet tooth and Noctis ordered a Golden Chocobo Tart, which the manager jokingly assured them wasn't actually made from Chocobos.

"That's a relief," said Noctis. "But the cheesecake _is_ made with real Kupoberries, right?"

"Only the finest!" the manager declared with a chuckle.

The wait would likely only be a few minutes – while the staff kept a number of prepared cheesecakes in a refrigerator, there was a fresh batch of tarts that still needed time to bake. They stood off to the side to wait while the next customers placed their orders.

"I'm surprised we haven't run into your friends today," said Luna.

"Well," Noctis explained, "when they found out I wanted to invite you, they said they would let us have the day to ourselves."

"I'd still like to meet them if I get the chance."

"Want me to give them a call?"

"Hmm," she thought out loud as she mulled it over. "Actually… I think I _would_ like to have you all to myself a little longer, if that's all right."

"In that case, I'll just keep my eyes open for them. Here come our snacks!"

The manager arrived with the cheesecake and tart, which each came with a small cup of hot cocoa, and he provided them both with trays so they could carry everything to a table. They picked a spot beside a building and rearranged their chairs so they could sit side by side with their backs to the wall looking out at the festivities, and then they sampled the dishes. The cheesecake was topped with raspberries, blueberries, and a thin layer of whipped cream, and there was a light drizzle of a red berry sauce on the plate; the sweet berry flavor was more prominent, but not so much so that it completely overpowered the cream cheese. The tart was savory rather than sweet, made with a golden brown pastry with a light egg flavor and ham cooked inside.

"So," Luna asked after her first taste, "are you pleased with your choice?"

"This _is_ pretty good," the prince replied. "Want to try some?"

"All right. Would you like to taste mine?" She took a forkful of her cheesecake and offered it to him.

"Sure," he said, and he did the same with his tart. "Do you want to go first, or should I?"

"We'll go at the same time," she said, shifting around to face him and waiting for him to follow suit. "On the count of three: one… two… three…"

With that, they fed each other their snacks at the same time, and their eyes met as they gently pulled their forks from each other's mouths. The food tasted delicious, yet each noticed a subtle hint of sadness or disappointment in the other's eyes. And it only took a moment before they both realized why that look was there. It was because they probably looked like…

No, they _absolutely_ looked like…

Like a newlywed couple taking the first bites of their wedding cake.

"So, um… how do you like it?" Luna asked, hoping to take her mind away from what should have been.

"I don't usually go for cheesecake," Noctis said, matching her awkwardness, "but I actually really like this. I guess I just have a thing for berries."

"Do you think your friends would like these?"

"Oh yeah," he answered. "Gladiolus would probably take a couple bites and then say something like this." He then started talking in a gruff masculine baritone. "'That's damn good. Think I could get seconds?' Prompto's eyes would go wide and he'd start getting all dramatic or hyperactive." This time he changed his voice to an upbeat higher pitch and placed an exaggerated emphasis on certain words. "'Guys, _this_ is the _greatest_ cheesecake in the _history_ of cheesecake. It's probably _why_ they invented cheesecake!' And Ignis would snap his fingers, write something down in his notebook, and announce—" here he paused for a moment to clear his throat before attempting Ignis's accent— "'That's it! I've come up with a new recipe!'"

Luna had no idea what any of Noctis's friends sounded like and thus could not verify the accuracy of his impersonations, but she laughed all the same as he took a sip of his hot cocoa. "Does it really count as his own recipe when he's getting it from a restaurant?" she asked.

"He certainly seems to think so," the prince said. "I mean, he usually puts his own twist on stuff, but still. He says that 'new recipe' line every single time, without fail. Doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing. I actually kinda like the spontaneity of it. You never know what'll inspire his next culinary masterpiece."

"Perhaps we could have had him cater our wedding," said Luna.

"I think he would've been up for that," said Noctis. "He really is a great cook. And now that I've got Ignis and berries on the brain: I don't know if you remember that treat we had in Tenebrae when we were kids…"

"The berry pastry?"

"That's the one," he replied, nodding his head. "Ignis tried for a long time to recreate it, but he couldn't quite get it right until recently."

"Interesting you should mention that," she said, scooping up another bite of cheesecake. "I recall a chef in Galdin Quay who wanted to make that same dessert for our wedding, plus a little something she concocted herself."

"You mean Coctura?"

"You know her?"

"Yeah," Noctis said. "We actually got her the Ulwaat berries so she could make it." He cut himself another piece of the tart. "She's really nice, by the way. You'd like her. Younger than I expected, too, considering how accomplished a chef she already is…"

" _Noctis,_ " Luna teased, feigning offense over his compliments to the chef.

"What, afraid she might be competition?" he teased back. "If you wanna know the truth, I actually thought she'd be a good match for Ignis. Imagine all the _new recipes_ they could come up with together!" He mimicked Ignis's accent again when he got to "new recipes."

"And then we could go to Galdin Quay and taste-test them as a dinner date!" she chimed in, and Noctis chuckled as he secretly mused that now she was starting to sound like Gladio.

"Perfect!" he said, offering his hot cocoa cup for a toast, and she raised her own to tap his and took a sip. "Just, uh… word of advice: don't get a massage when we go there."

"Why not?"

"Trust me."

* * *

The Galviano Arena had suspended its usual activities during the Moogle Chocobo Carnival, and that was perfectly fine with Luna. The arena was normally the home of Totomostro, where teams of monsters from around the world were pitted against each other in battle and spectators could place bets on which team would emerge victorious. It was one of Altissia's biggest tourist attractions, popular enough to have spawned a line of merchandise and even a collectible card game, but Luna wasn't a fan of it. As far as she was concerned, it was one thing if these monsters attacked you out in the open and you were forced to defend yourself. But the concept of forcing captive wildlife to fight each other for humans' entertainment had never sat well with her. She figured she would much prefer the two games the arena offered its visitors instead.

The first was called Whack-A-Cactuar, and while the name conjured up expectations of a simple arcade-style game based around hitting Cactuars with a mallet whenever they emerged from holes in a table, in truth it wasn't even close. It was more like a miniature battle arena where participants could chase Cactuars around with a mallet and strike them to win points, and if you collected enough points you would win a prize. Noctis had been intrigued by this one, so Luna went along with it even though she wasn't sure if she could handle it. They earned enough points for a prize, but sure enough it was mostly due to the prince's combat prowess while Luna's condition made her struggle to keep up. She couldn't tell whether Noctis had noticed anything wrong with her; he'd heard her coughing as she gasped for breath and asked if she was all right, and then after she assured him she was fine he commented on how fast and agile the Cactuars were. Thankfully they had only done the easiest difficulty, which Noctis had chosen knowing she wasn't very experienced in combat. The higher difficulties required you to avoid other monsters while chasing the Cactuars.

The other game was a shooting gallery, which seemed to be more Luna's speed since it wasn't quite as physically demanding an activity. Players would sit in a turret and fire at targets around the arena as they emerged, earning points and collecting prizes as their reward. It took Luna some time to adjust to the recoil of the turret and her aim wasn't always true as a result, but it was still fun nonetheless. Meanwhile Noctis was firing the turret with all the poise and accuracy of an experienced military gunner. Between this and his performance at the other game, Luna wondered what he'd been through on his way from Insomnia to Altissia that necessitated such skills. He was, after all, trying to reclaim his kingdom from the Empire; no doubt he must have been swept up in the war effort at least once. Once more her heart ached for him and all he had lost, knowing all too well how it felt to lose a family and a kingdom and a home in one fell swoop, but at least he wasn't showing any signs of post-traumatic stress. She hoped that didn't mean he was simply good at hiding it.

From there they set out for the Chocobo races, which Luna had assumed would be for spectator events and group competitions but turned out to be individual timed challenges. There were lengthy wooden paths arranged on the water with large hoops serving as checkpoints and greens scattered about for the Chocobos to eat. The more difficult of the tracks even went into the water itself, though not so deep that the bird and rider would have been at risk of being swept along by the current, which was typically gentler than one might expect given that Altissia was built on and around a series of waterfalls. Noctis offered her a chance to race, but while she enjoyed riding and found the big yellow birds quite endearing, she wasn't properly dressed for the occasion and had to politely decline. Once more she was surprised by the prince's skill, watching from the starting line as he guided the Chocobo through the water track and completed the lap in record time. All the while she once again regretted wearing a dress to the carnival while also doubting that she would be as talented a rider as Noctis was, hoping they could find an opportunity for her to showcase her own hidden talents – whatever they were. The supervisor was very much impressed, placing Noctis's name atop a leaderboard displaying the day's fastest times and handing him a trophy.

"Check it out, Luna," Noctis said, showing her the trophy as they left the Chocobo races. "This is the Water Trotter trophy."

"Wasn't that supposed to be the more difficult course?" Luna asked.

"Yeah," he answered with a proud grin on his face. "I mean, I'm not usually one to toot my own horn, but, well…"

He raised his hands to his mouth and mimed playing a trumpet as he vocalized a victorious fanfare.

"How do you do it?" she asked, interrupting his little moment of glory.

"What do you mean?"

"How do you find the time to get so good at so many different things?"

The question caught him off guard and he came to a halt in the middle of the street, staring into space for a moment and nervously scratching the back of his head. Meanwhile people passing by kept shooting him dirty looks for blocking their path after nearly bumping into him, but he paid little attention to them.

"Well… I don't know," he said, his confidence so suddenly replaced with bashfulness that Luna might have regretted asking him anything if his awkward expression wasn't so cute. "I mean, everybody's got things—"

This train of thought was promptly, albeit momentarily, derailed by an inattentive stranger colliding with Noctis and nearly knocking him over. The prince was immediately apologetic, but the other man didn't seem so eager to forgive, addressing him with an irritated sneer and asking why he couldn't just stand over on the side of the street. Noctis was in no mood to pick a fight with this man, so he apologized once more and led Luna over to a nearby bench.

"Sorry about that," he said. "But anyway, like I was saying… everybody's got things they're good at."

Luna sighed and took a seat on the bench, folding her hands across her lap and straightening her posture. "The only thing I'm good at is being the Oracle," she told him, glancing down at her feet with a slight frown.

"That's a pretty big point in your favor, you know," said Noctis. "No one else can do what you can do."

"It's also a non-stop, full-time job," she said. "Ever since I completed my studies and training to take this role, I've had to devote nearly every waking moment of my life to it. Everywhere I go, I see so much pain… so many people suffering, begging me to bring them peace. I don't get to have hobbies, and I don't get to have fun. The whole world admires me, yet I can count on one hand the number of people I actually feel close to anymore. And if you and I had fallen out of touch…"

She trailed off there, as if unable or unwilling to complete the thought, but as far as Noctis was concerned she'd already said enough. He hadn't given much consideration to it before, but all of this had been much harder for her than it ever had been for him until only recently. Perhaps it was because she always came off as a pillar of strength, carrying herself with an unwavering will to do what needed to be done. She hadn't told him much about the downsides of being the Oracle, so he had thought of it as an upgrade from what she'd been before. Until she'd assumed the role, Luna was a prisoner in her own home, constantly living under the Niffs' collective thumb. She had found ways to keep herself busy and amused, but to him it seemed that she had missed out on so much.

And on top of all that, while he was going to school and making friends and fishing and camping and playing video games and living as normal a life as he could, she was being harassed and abused by Imperial Magitek soldiers. He never knew of it until years after this harsh treatment had ceased (or so Luna had said), but that didn't stop him from wanting to learn who was responsible and form a hit list. How she had found it in her heart to forgive the Niffs after all they had done to her, Noctis figured he would never know. Nor could he understand why Ravus would join forces with the very army that had killed his parents and harmed his sister, but that was a topic for another time.

"I'm sorry," Luna continued, having noticed his uncomfortable silence. "I shouldn't be saying such things. It's an honor to be the Oracle, and if anything I do can bring peace and goodness and light into this world… then it's worth everything."

Noctis wanted to say something to make her feel better, anything at all that might reassure her that everything would be all right in the end. But with the dangers of Leviathan just around the corner, he wasn't even sure he could say that. He certainly didn't want her to feel like she needed to apologize for telling him all of that. But words were slow to come to him, so he simply sat beside her on the bench and let out a sigh as he gathered his thoughts.

"Can I let you in on a little secret?" he finally asked after another brief awkward lull in the conversation.

"It's safe with me," she said.

"I envy your devotion."

"What do you mean?"

"Yeah, I may be good at a lot of different things," he said, "but it's not like they're _important_ things, you know? Catching a 20-pound trout or winning a Chocobo race won't make me a better king. I've always understood that. But I did it anyway because… well, because I craved the distraction."

"Distraction? From what?"

"Everything," Noctis admitted. "My whole life revolved around preparing for the day I would bury my father and replace him as king. And then that day actually came, and I still wasn't ready." He paused for a moment and laughed bitterly at himself. "How do you like that? I guess it worked."

He slumped forward and squeezed a spot on the bench between them, staring straight ahead at nothing in particular as if lost in thought. Luna glanced down at that hand, then back up at his face, and then back down at his hand again, and she slowly inched one of her hands toward his. Then she stopped and sharply pulled it back, maybe partially due to nerves, but mostly because she convinced herself that he wouldn't want her to once he learned what happened to his father. They hadn't brought it up in their most recent notes, which had made Luna wonder if Noctis knew the full story – and if he didn't, how he would react when he found out. She was relieved that he hadn't confronted her about it yet, which indicated that he really didn't know, but at the same time she felt guilty over not bringing it up herself, not making some prior attempt to at least offer her condolences. He deserved to know if he didn't already.

"I'm so sorry about your father, Noctis," she said.

"It's all right, you have nothing to apologize for," he mumbled. He inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh as he leaned back against the bench and folded his arms. "You know, I've never told anyone this, but… sometimes I wish I had never left Insomnia. I can't help feeling like I could have saved Dad somehow, the same way he saved me from the Marilith."

"He wouldn't have let you," Luna blurted out, her voice shaking a bit.

"You really think so?"

"I _know_ so."

"How do you know?"

"Because I was there," she confessed, looking him in the eye, "and he didn't let _me._ "

The prince's eyes and mouth went agape with shock, and she immediately looked away. Gods, she was afraid of this. He would be angry and confused, and he would want to know why she didn't try to save King Regis anyway, and it would all go downhill from there.

"He cast a barrier spell between us and told me to run," she continued. "That's why I'm sorry – not only for your loss… but… but because I couldn't prevent it."

All at once the memories of King Regis being struck down by General Glauca right in front of her came rushing back to haunt her all over again. She remembered just _standing_ there with Nyx, watching helplessly as His Majesty fell lifeless to the floor, and hurrying out of that room before the barrier spell could dissipate. It wasn't the first time Luna had seen someone die – in her travels she'd been asked a number of times to bless dying people so their souls could rest peacefully – but it _was_ the first murder she'd ever witnessed, and she hoped it would be the last. She'd spent so many nights ever since tossing and turning in bed trying to force those memories to go away so she could fall asleep. Why hadn't they just run away when the king told them to run? If they were so insistent on staying with him, why couldn't they find some way to help him? She couldn't answer these questions. She could only hope that Noctis might forgive her.

Suddenly she heard a rustling beside her, and she felt Noctis's arms wrapping her in a gentle hug. It surprised her at first, but once she realized what was happening she turned to hug him back.

And then she heard his voice whispering in her ear: "It's not your fault."

"Thank you, Noctis," she whispered back, feeling a great rush of relief, and she held him a little tighter.

"You know what?" he said. "I think we really needed this day off."

"I think you may be right."

* * *

Time seemed to be passing faster than either Noctis or Luna would have liked, but that may have been because navigating Altissia could be a time-consuming affair. Neither of them were particularly familiar with the city, Luna having mostly stayed in her room since her arrival and Noctis still trying to figure out his way around. Altissia was laid out in blocks connected by bridges and gondola canals, and each block was crammed with buildings and alleys and stairways. Some of the bridges they needed to cross could only be found by climbing stairs. Some of those necessary staircases could only be found if you turned the right corner. Even having a map to look over was of little help as it was difficult to determine whether the bridges were at ground (or rather sea) level. It was the most beautiful city Noctis had ever seen, yet part of what made it so beautiful was exactly what made getting around such a headache. It made him feel like they were mice running around in a maze, and the city's architects and civic engineers were the scientists watching them struggle to find the chunk of cheese waiting at the end.

"Remind me why they couldn't just build this city on land," Noctis vented at one point.

"Not enough of an architectural challenge?" offered Luna.

As if matters weren't already difficult enough, they were trying to find Maagho, a high-class restaurant and bar that was only accessible by gondola because it was constructed under an elevated city block. It seemed like a lot of trouble to go to just to have a nice dinner, but it was the most highly-regarded eatery in Altissia and as far as Noctis was concerned there was no settling for anything less. He had been there shortly after his arrival in the city but couldn't remember the correct gondola route. With sunset fast approaching and crowds beginning to fill every restaurant and café with open doors and vacant tables, they decided it was best to wait until after the dinner rush. Once night fell those people would all be going to see the fireworks, so Noctis and Luna opted to bide some time searching for the best viewpoint while making small talk.

They were in the middle of one such conversation when something caught Luna's eye and she suddenly stopped. "Noctis, look at this!" she said, heading over to a grandiose display case embedded in a storefront.

The prince turned to see what had caught her interest, and it didn't take long to figure out why it had. A mannequin was placed front and center to model an elegant white gown that was long enough to gently brush against the floor. The gown had an asymmetrical bust and left the shoulders bared, the arms covered by what appeared to be long fingerless gloves. The mannequin's neck was adorned with a prominent necklace. And beside it there was a photograph of Luna flashing a warm smile.

"Ah," said Noctis, "I see you've found the wedding dress display."

"I take it this isn't your first time seeing it," said Luna.

"Good guess," he confirmed. "The first time was shortly after I arrived in Altissia. I've passed it a few times since then. Prompto got a pretty good picture of it too, crowds and all."

The wedding gown display had been adopted as an impromptu memorial site among the locals after Luna, along with Noctis and King Regis, had been reported dead during the invasion of Insomnia. By the time Noctis and his friends had reached Altissia, it was common knowledge that two of those three reports were nothing more than fake news. Still, the display remained a popular place for people to pay their respects to the Oracle and offer prayers for her safe travels.

"I really do love this dress," Luna said, smiling a bit wistfully as she admired the designer's handiwork and then covering her mouth to stifle her coughing. "It's a classy design, but not too busy."

"Worth every gil the designer was paid for it," the prince agreed. He glanced away from the mannequin and gave her a gentle nudge. "Hey," he continued with a playful little grin, "not to alarm you or anything, but for some reason the girl in that photo over there reminds me of you."

"The resemblance _is_ rather uncanny."

"Yeah."

There was a brief lull in their conversation as the prince's smile slowly faded. He let out a sigh as he folded his arms and slightly cocked his head, letting his gaze drop from the photograph to nothing in particular. Luna had a feeling she already knew what was on his mind, but didn't know what she could say to lighten his mood. Idle chitchat about the carnival and the upcoming fireworks seemed so inappropriate somehow. It was strange how a subject could change from proper to tactless in so little time.

"What's wrong?" she finally asked.

"Nothing," he muttered, his tone soft and somewhat mournful. "It's just that… you know, this may sound a bit cheesy, but… well…"

Noctis trailed off there, and he internally thanked the gods that Gladiolus wasn't around to smack him on the head and tell him to just spit it out already; he knew his bodyguard meant well, but it never actually made "spitting it out" any easier. He wondered how he could be so awkward, so inept, at simply telling people how he felt about things. How was he supposed to be a good king when he found it so difficult to speak his mind? And somehow it became even more difficult when he was talking to the people who meant the most to him, which made no sense. It was supposed to be easier to be more open with those he felt closest to, wasn't it? Even when writing to Luna he would review and revise and re-revise sentence after sentence, word choice after word choice, worrying about how he might come across whenever he started letting his guard down. There were times when he would be too emotionally worked up to concern himself with all that, but thankfully those were few and far between. This wasn't one of them, though part of him wished it could be if only so he wouldn't hold himself back this way.

But when he looked over at Luna and saw the concern in her eyes, he knew he needed to say something. He couldn't just leave her hanging and pretend this was no big deal. He took a deep breath and finally let the words flow.

"I really wanted my first time seeing this dress to be with you wearing it," he said.

Her eyes widened a bit upon hearing that. For so long she had worried that her only real value to him – or anyone else, but especially him – was as the Oracle, and this was something she had been longing to hear. She inched toward him and gently took him by the hand, this time without any hesitation. His hand was somewhat rough and callused over, no doubt from the swords and spears and guns and whatever else he'd been carrying around during his fight to reclaim his throne. But she didn't care. It was _his_ hand, and that was the most important thing.

"So did I," she whispered.

"It probably looks amazing on you," he said, glancing once more at the gown.

"It fits me like a glove."

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if picturing what she would have looked like as his bride. A slight smile formed as he opened them again and looked at her.

"They even made it your favorite color," he joked.

"Yes," she said through a warm laugh, "how considerate of them."

The smile on his face grew bigger and more playful. "Hey Luna," he asked, "how much trouble do you think we'd get into if we broke in there, took the dress, and let you try it on right now?"

"Too impatient to wait for the right date now, Noctis?" she teased.

"What can I say?" the prince answered. "Life has a knack for disrupting my plans. I'd rather not chance it this time."

"I think we've got enough to worry about with the rite approaching," Luna said. "Don't you?"

"Fair enough," he said, chuckling. "Well, not much longer until the fireworks start. I was thinking of watching them from a gondola. What do you think?"

"I'd like that," she said, and they turned to go with their hands still joined, watching the sun finish its daily disappearance beneath the horizon line.

But Luna took one last quick look at the wedding dress as they left, and at her own smiling face beside it. She wondered who had taken that photograph. She couldn't remember where she had been whenever the picture was taken, or what she'd been doing that day. It was like looking through a window into a life she could have had: a captured moment of joy she couldn't remember displayed beside a dress she would never wear to a wedding that would never happen – and for reasons beyond the fraudulent nature of their engagement.

In a way, Luna realized, it made perfect sense that there was a thick pane of glass standing between her and that dress. It was close enough to be within her reach, yet remained completely inaccessible. It was, in a nutshell, the story of her life.

* * *

The prince and the Oracle reached the nearest gondola dock just as the last remnants of light were fading away and just before the dinner crowds began emptying from the restaurants. Fortunately, the gondolier didn't recognize either of them, and he kept plugs in his ears to minimize the combined noise of the boat's motor, the music blasting from speakers all around, and eventually the exploding fireworks. This also meant that he likely wouldn't be able to hear much of anything Noctis and Luna might have had to say that would have given away their identities. Still, Luna figured, it was probably best to avoid more sensitive subject matter just in case.

The gondolas themselves were well-maintained and more luxurious than Luna had anticipated. They were a dark brown color with golden patterns painted all around and a red carpet lining the floor. The gondolier stood behind the bright blue motor, steering the boat with turns of a handle. And instead of the expected wooden bench seats, it featured cushioned chairs arranged in rows of either one seat or two. There was also an ottoman past the last chair and enough space for people to sit on the carpet or the edges. It lacked handles for the people who chose to sit on the edge, but the gondola's motion was slow and gentle enough that a rider would've had to be either drunk or especially careless or reckless to fall over the side.

Luna was slow to enter the gondola, blaming it once more on her high heels, but Noctis held her hand to keep her balanced. Since leaving the wedding dress display, he had only let go to step into the boat himself. His touch was a sensation she could get used to – or at least it was until she remembered that she wouldn't be able to. She took a seat on a chair beside him as the gondola began puttering away from the dock. The cushions were very soft and much dryer than she'd expected, considering they were made with cloth instead of waterproof leather, but she supposed there wasn't much splashing going on aboard a gondola anyway. The waters in Altissia were typically quite gentle despite the numerous falls crashing all around.

As the sky grew darker the city lights grew brighter, with a steady stream of yellow lining the streets, windows aglow in every building, and candles gently burning atop outdoor café tables. Crowds of people were lining up to board gondolas while others climbed staircases in search of a higher vantage point. Still others stopped in their tracks on bridges or unfolded chairs along the guardrails as they waited for the first of the fireworks to launch. It made Luna thankful that they had managed to beat the rush; had they needed to wait in a lengthy line they were bound to have been recognized by someone. And given her condition, she had already spent more time on her feet than was recommended.

"Altissia is truly a marvel, isn't it?" she asked.

"Would've made for a perfect honeymoon spot," Noctis answered with a slight smile that left her unsure of whether he was kidding.

She was about to say yes when all of a sudden she suffered a violent coughing fit, the worst she'd had yet that day. It was the kind where she felt she could barely draw breath without hacking up a lung. Her throat felt sore and somewhat parched, and her chest started to hurt. All the while she could feel Noctis's fingers brushing against her back as if uncertain about what to do since she wasn't choking on anything. She caught a glimpse of him rifling through his pockets in search of a potion she could drink, and saw the frustration on his face as he found nothing.

Finally the coughing subsided, but she took a few precautionary deep breaths in and out to ensure that it was really over. Another couple of small coughs came out, but nothing too serious, and so she was able to relax a bit and regain her posture as best she could. But it was of little relief to Noctis.

"Are you all right over there?" he asked. "You've been coughing a lot today."

She was afraid of this. All day long she had tried so hard to keep her health issues a secret, but now he was confronting her about it and it didn't seem likely that he would drop the subject.

"Don't worry about that," she replied, her voice a bit raspy from all the coughing, and she paused to clear her throat. "It's just been bothering me on and off for a few weeks now."

"It's not just that," Noctis pressed on, shaking his head a bit. "I saw how you were doing during the Cactuar game, Luna, and it didn't look good. That's why I decided to stop playing."

Oh no. Now it was turning out that her health had been hindering his enjoyment of the carnival from the beginning. She wanted to apologize, to tell him that perhaps they would have had a better time if they'd simply stayed in her room chatting all day, but she didn't get that chance.

"I didn't say anything because I didn't want to jump to conclusions," he continued. "But I can't put this off anymore. I think you might need to see a doctor."

She had been seeing a doctor on occasion ever since the rites began, of course. But that was mostly to make sure her body wouldn't completely fail her before the end of the Leviathan rite. This was not something that could be treated with traditional medical practices or potions.

"It's only a cough, Noctis," she said, hoping to alleviate his concern. "It's not terminal cancer."

"Could still be a symptom of something."

She sighed with frustration, hoping she wouldn't have to explain things much further – in no small part because she wasn't quite sure _how_ to explain it. "I know I'm not exactly the perfect picture of health at the moment," she said, "but it's nothing I can't handle."

"Wait, what the hell does _that_ mean?" said Noctis. "Luna… are you _hiding_ something from me?"

He was frozen stiff beside her, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape, and the sight of him made her deeply regret her word choice. And she hated keeping this a secret from him even more. She had always known that her duty would require her to hurt him this way; she could not let him be distracted from what needed to be done. But it was one thing to know about something and another to actually do it, especially after everything they had shared with each other in that notebook over the years. She looked away from him and sighed deeply as she contemplated what to tell him and how much. It was so much easier to do this sort of thing in writing than it was face to face.

"I, um… I haven't been feeling well lately," she confessed. "It's a side effect of forming covenants with the Six. The process is quite stressful and draining for me. My condition isn't really an illness; it's more like a lingering exhaustion. That's why I haven't been able to participate in the more physical activities in town today."

"Then maybe you should wait a little longer before you call Leviathan," Noctis suggested. "Give yourself more time to recover."

"How much time do you think we have?" Luna countered. "I must seek the aid of the Astrals if we are to stop the Starscourge."

"Even at the cost of your own well-being?"

"Yes, if that's the price," the Oracle answered. "The longer I wait, the darker and more daemon-infested our world becomes. I can only do so much to keep the Starscourge at bay on my own. As such, this is my top priority."

Noctis redirected his gaze away from her, staring off into space and shaking his head in disbelief. He knew that things had been rough for Luna over the years, but he never could have imagined this. And perhaps the most frustrating part was that he was only learning of it now. What if there was some other way to save Eos, something that didn't involve hurting Luna? He certainly couldn't think of any alternative plans, especially on this short notice, but it had to at least be worth consideration.

"Is this at least something you _can_ recover from?" he asked, looking back at her as he slumped against the back of his chair and folded his arms. "Or is it more of a cumulative thing where it gets worse every time you call another Astral?"

She hesitated to answer that question. But it wasn't because she didn't know the answer. It was because she knew it was something he wouldn't have wanted to hear. This left her with two options: outright lying and giving him hope that she could be cured of this ailment, or feigning ignorance of the answer, which was essentially lying by omission and would likely have yielded the same result. It was a no-win situation if ever she had seen one.

"It's… it's hard to say," she finally mumbled, which was technically not untrue but still didn't make her feel any more honest.

There was a moment of silence as he processed that answer. Luna could tell he had noticed her hesitation, but she still hoped that he might move on to something else. Anything else.

"You're lying to me, aren't you?" he asked, his volume low and his tone disappointed instead of angry.

"I told you, I don't want you to worry about me."

"Luna," he said, his frustration audibly growing, "you can't just tell me your health is deteriorating and expect me to not worry about that!"

"I appreciate your concern," she said, trying to stay calm. "Really, I do. But there's nothing you or I or anyone else can do about it, so what does it matter?"

One look at Noctis's face after those words left her mouth was all she needed to regret saying them. His posture was stiff and his mouth hung slightly open for a moment before he gritted his teeth and furrowed his eyebrows, cocking his head to one side. She had never seen him so upset, though it was an expression she'd seen somewhere else before, except back then it was from someone who fully understood where the path of the Oracle would eventually lead her.

"Maybe it doesn't matter to you," Noctis said, "but it sure as hell matters to me!"

By this time the first of the fireworks had been launched into the night sky, delighting every other carnival goer with bright flashes of red and blue and yellow and green in time with a pop song blaring over the loudspeakers around town. The prince and the Oracle may have been the only people in Altissia who still weren't paying attention yet.

"You're starting to sound like Ravus," Luna observed.

"Ravus?" asked Noctis, confused by the comparison to her brother, a man he had barely known even when they were children and understood even less now that he was commanding the Imperial Army.

"He hates that I'm awakening the Six for the sake of helping you," she explained with a nod of her head. "He doesn't seem to like you very much, to be honest. And he's asked me on multiple occasions to stop doing this altogether for my own good." She was momentarily distracted by an especially loud burst several stories overhead, and then folded her hands across her lap and sighed a little. "Nevertheless, I persisted. And that is because this is _my_ calling and _my_ choice, not his, and I must see it through no matter what." She let out a short, wistful little laugh. "No one else can do what I do, remember? So please… don't think that you can talk me out of it. Not after I've done so much already."

That, thankfully, seemed to be enough to calm him down. Or perhaps Noctis simply knew when he couldn't win and was turning in his cards. He slumped back into the chair and tilted his head back, looking straight up at the stars instead of turning his attention to the fireworks going off nearby.

"I know that what you're doing is important," he said, looking back down at her with all traces of anger and frustration now absent from his voice. "But I still want you to feel better. You _deserve_ that."

"Noctis…"

He interrupted her by taking her hand once more and picking up where he left off. "I still remember everything you said in the notebook, Luna," he said. "And I remember what I told you. When you told me about the soldiers who hurt you when you were little, I wanted to hunt down every last one of them."

"There's no need for that."

"Maybe, but at the time there was no convincing me otherwise," he replied. "And when I got your note about how lonely you felt when your brother joined the Imperial Army, I actually stole my father's car that night. I tried to drive to Galdin Quay so I could sail to Altissia and catch a train to Tenebrae, and I swear to all the gods I'm not making that up."

His story caught Luna completely by surprise. This wasn't something Noctis had ever told her about in the notebook. Here he had gone to such great lengths to offer a lonely girl comfort and companionship despite all the Niff guards littering the mountains and fields of Tenebrae, and meanwhile she hadn't made even a fraction of that effort to see him even after she'd escaped the Empire's clutches. Perhaps there was no way she could have eluded the guards back then, but she felt guilty about it all the same.

"You went to all that trouble for me?" she asked.

"Well, I didn't even make it out of the Crown City before they caught me," he admitted a bit sheepishly, looking away for a moment. "Dad gave me the grounding of a lifetime for that one." He blinked and suddenly his eyes were locked onto hers again. "But you were worth it. And you still are. That's why I'm here."

"You're really something," she said, at a loss for any better words. "You know that?"

He tightened his grip on her hand a little and inched closer to her.

"I just want you to live well and be happy," Noctis said, his voice starting to break. "Even if it means we have to be apart. It's better than sitting here, watching you suffer… and knowing that I can't fix it."

He shut his eyes and hung his head, brushing his black bangs away from his eyes with his free hand, and the other began to loosen its grip on hers. Luna looked him over, still squeezing his hand tightly, wanting to find some way to convince him that everything would be all right, or at least to offer him some sort of comfort. She reached over and brushed her fingers across his cheek, letting her hand come to rest on the nape of his neck. Then she inched a little closer and leaned over until their foreheads gently touched.

" _You_ make me happy, Noctis," she told him. "Don't ever forget that."

With that, she turned to rest her head on his shoulder. She slipped an arm around his back, and he soon returned the favor. They turned their attention to the fireworks and watched the rest of the show in comfortable silence.

* * *

After the fireworks ended, Noctis and Luna finally managed to get a ride to Maagho for dinner. This required persuading the gondolier to momentarily stray from his assigned route just as the smoke from the finale was beginning to clear. He was a bit reluctant, worrying that his boss might confront him for disrupting the system even a little bit, but Noctis made sure to offer him a good tip for doing them the favor. Funny how a little money could sometimes go a long way.

Maagho looked just as pristine and bright as even the most high-class places in Altissia despite its unusual location. It was a small eatery built on a large and spotless dock with a bar at the center and numerous wooden stools and tables surrounding it, and hefty barrels of wine lined the staircases leading up to the bar. The walls were pure white with patterns carved into the arches overhead and potted plants hanging from the ceiling. It was a place that would have had no trouble attracting big crowds had it been located just about anywhere else in town. Noctis never could understand why the owner, a former steward of his father's named Weskham Armaugh, had wanted to open his business under a city block. It was only visible from a certain spot across the water or if you happened to pass it while riding a gondola. Weskham preferred to think of his restaurant as "one of Altissia's best-kept little secrets," but Noctis thought he could use a lesson in marketing.

Then again, the prince figured, Maagho had managed to stay in business _this_ long, so what did he know?

It was a small crowd at the restaurant, mainly because the dinner rush was over and most people were on their way back home after the fireworks ended. But Maagho was also a pricey place, and so the few people there were clad in expensive suits and dresses that gave an aura of wealth as opposed to the much simpler and humbler outfits Noctis and Luna had chosen. Even Weskham himself was dressed to the nines, sporting a white dress shirt with a yellow tie under a leather vest and a monocle adorning his left eye. Upon meeting him after his arrival in Altissia, Noctis had wondered whether he really needed it to see or if he wore it simply because it looked fancy. He also wondered what he himself might have looked like with a monocle and quickly concluded that some accessories just didn't suit him.

"Good evening, Lord Noctis… and Lady Lunafreya," Weskham greeted them as they approached the bar, stifling his surprise at the prince's guest for professionalism's sake. "Welcome to Maagho, and thank you for choosing to dine with us tonight. Would you like to start with a drink?"

"I'll start off with some water," said Noctis. "I haven't really gotten to look over the wine list yet."

"I'll start with water too," said Luna.

"Of course," Weskham said. "No need to rush your decision. But, um… Lord Noctis, may I have a word with you for a minute?"

"All right."

Weskham gestured for Noctis to follow, so he followed the owner to a stack of wine barrels at the end of the bar while Luna continued looking over the menu. Once Noctis caught up with him, the older man folded his arms and addressed the prince with a flustered expression on his face.

"Noctis, are you out of your mind?" Weskham asked, going on the offensive immediately but keeping his voice low so his other customers wouldn't overhear and grow suspicious. "What in the world are you doing bringing the Oracle out in public? What if the locals recognize her and start making a fuss over her presence? What if someone sees her that we don't want seeing her and draws the Empire's attention? The whole reason she's stayed in that room all this time is so we don't have to worry about that!"

"I _know_ that, Weskham!" said Noctis. "But the Leviathan rite is gonna drag us into the spotlight anyway."

The restauranteur shook his head and began to massage his temple, his gray hair only mildly disturbed by it. "I may need a drink," he said. "Multiple drinks, perhaps. I never thought I'd say this, but I don't think I've got enough wine."

"Look, I didn't do this to start a political shit storm," Noctis assured him. "I just wanted to show her a good time, that's all."

"You really are your father's son," Weskham said with a sigh. "But how did you get Secretary Claustra's approval for this?"

At the mention of the First Secretary, Noctis felt his face growing warmer, probably turning a bit red with embarrassment. "Yeah, about that," he said with a nervous laugh. "I, uh… I may have neglected to tell her that I wanted to bring Luna to the carnival."

Perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to lie to Camelia's face so soon after earning her trust at their brief summit, where he had agreed to provide his friends' assistance for the evacuation of Altissia before the rite's commencement. Her typically icy professionalism had waned just enough to favorably compare him to his father. He doubted that his parents' courtship had involved his father telling a little white lie that could easily have brought dire consequences to millions of people simply because he wanted some quality time with a beautiful girl. Some strange instinct had told him to not wait until after the rite to reach out to Luna, and he couldn't put his finger on what it was or why he had this feeling.

Not that any of this would have mattered to Weskham, even if he'd known about it. "Oh, for the love of the gods," he lamented, hiding his face in the palm of his hand. His monocle managed to not drop from his eye somehow.

"Look at it this way," suggested Noctis. "As far as Camelia knows, all I wanted to do was hang out with Luna in her room all day so we could catch up."

"You think that would suffice as a cover story?"

"You think I'm gonna stay away from Luna after coming halfway across the world to see her?"

There was a spark in the prince's eyes when he said this, a sense of determination that did not go unnoticed. Once more Weskham was reminded of the late king of Lucis – or "Reggie," as their mutual friend Cid used to call him. It was a different situation when he'd seen it in Regis, however; it was a long time ago, around the time Regis had tried to rebuild a military alliance with Accordo to force the Empire out of his kingdom. The king had been prepared to do whatever it took to preserve Lucian independence and protect his people as well as the Crystal. He ended up having to strengthen the magical wall surrounding the Crown City of Insomnia after the Lucian army was defeated in battle.

Following the Lucian defeat, Weskham elected to take up permanent residence in Altissia and pursue a career in the culinary arts. He did so due to a weariness from fighting a losing battle, and also under the assumption that Altissia was a safer place to live than Insomnia given the latter city being Niflheim's primary target. He would never see Regis again after that, and now could only hope that a brighter future awaited his son.

"The things you boys will do to impress a girl nowadays," Weskham mused, chuckling gently as his mood softened. "When I was your age all I needed was a nice bouquet and some dancing lessons."

"Weskham," said Noctis, his desperation growing, "tonight I will pay you the biggest tip any customer has ever given you if you let this be our little secret."

"Noctis, I sell 300,000-gil caviar dishes to some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in Eos," the restauranteur countered. "You may have to bankrupt yourself to even _approach_ some of the tips I've been given."

"Weskham, _please!_ "

"It's all right, I won't tell a soul," Weskham told him. "I was never going to in the first place. Just promise you won't take another risk like this until _after_ the Leviathan rite. Do we have a deal?"

There was no hesitation on the prince's part. "Deal," he said, and the two of them shook hands. "Just one more thing: do you have any recommendations for wine pairings? I can never remember what goes with what."

"It's written on the menu."

"Thanks, Weskham. You really _are_ a life-saver."

"I do what I can," said Weskham.

With that, he returned to his usual place behind the counter to take more orders. By the time he came back to Noctis and Luna they had made their choices, so he took their orders and told them they could sit wherever they liked. They chose a table at the opposite end from where the gondola dock was located, and before long Weskham was returning with glasses of water and wine for each. Another server brought a small basket of bread and butter for them to snack on while they waited for their dinners.

"What was _that_ all about?" Luna asked once Weskham and the server were gone.

"What was what about?"

"That little heart-to-heart you were having with the owner," she clarified.

"Oh, that," mumbled Noctis. "Um… well, he was an old friend of my father's, so… you know, he just wanted to talk for a minute. Making sure I'm staying out of trouble and all that."

She saw through the fib almost immediately, but she took it in stride, supposing that with all the secrets she had been keeping from him all this time he was entitled to a few of his own. Noctis had never struck her as very secretive, though it was hard to tell when all she had to go on was words in a notebook. But even now, though there were certain things he struggled to talk about more, he seemed to be as open as he'd been in writing. Once they'd gotten past the initial "long time, no see" awkwardness he'd been increasingly talkative. And she was glad for that – although being the Oracle required her to talk to a lot of people, she usually felt more comfortable talking to others when they talked to her first. Perhaps this was the product of the lifestyle she'd been forced to lead before becoming the Oracle, but it didn't matter. Luna had more important things to worry about than psychoanalyzing herself.

"You know, we never did run into your friends today," she observed. "What do you think they're doing right now?"

"Probably playing video games at the hotel," Noctis answered. "Prompto is something of an addict. Every time we stay in proper lodgings he always wants to get his fix."

"So they won't mind if we stay out a bit later than expected?"

"Probably not, but once my phone starts buzzing every two minutes we'll know we're pressing our luck."

She snickered at that and took a sip of her wine, swishing it around inside her mouth to get the full sweet rosé flavor. "You know," she said, "as risky as it may have been for us… I'm glad we did this. Can you imagine how awkward things might have been if our little reunion had to happen at the rite?"

"Yeah," he said softly, swirling his pinot noir in his glass but not sipping it. "As if the rite itself wasn't stressful enough already. Part of me can't wait until it's over and done with, frankly."

"And what does the other part want?"

"For this day to go on forever," he admitted, setting his glass down. "At least that way if it turns out I'm _not_ worthy of Leviathan's power, we would never have to find out."

"Why wouldn't you be worthy?" Luna asked. "You _are_ the True King. You've already passed the trials of Titan and Ramuh. Not just anyone can do that, Noctis."

"Well, what if they're wrong about me?" he asked, leaning forward and lowering his voice. "What if those two are the only ones I can get? Just because I've won their favor doesn't mean any of the others will like me. Maybe the True King is the only one who can get support from all five of the Six who aren't Ifrit. How do we know that's me?"

"The Crystal knows," Luna reminded him. "And besides, there have been plenty of pretenders over the last two thousand years who have faced the same trials you did and failed. You would not have come this far if you were another one of them."

"I just don't know how many more of these trials I can take, Luna. Especially if my friends get dragged into it, like with Titan."

"I understand why you're worried," she said. "But I have faith in you, Noctis. The Crystal has chosen you, and the Crystal makes no mistakes."

He said nothing this time, instead merely choosing to finally sip his wine. Then he gently set his glass down on the table and leaned back a bit, folding his arms and staring off into space as if deep in thought about something. She briefly wondered if it might help to explain the full extent of what he was to do, but because she knew how that would end she decided against it. Another aspect of her role was to inspire the King, but what more could she say or do? She hoped that she had done enough already and that his silence was simply because he was slowly realizing the truth of it. If he was to succeed in this quest, he would need to believe in himself at least as much as she believed in him.

But when he looked back and began to talk again, what he had to say was not something she was prepared to hear.

"Hey Luna," said Noctis, "you ever wonder how our lives might have turned out if we were normal?"

"Define _normal,_ " she replied. "Traveling the world, healing the sick and wounded, awakening the Astrals… that's _my_ normal."

"Okay, let me try again," he said. "What if I wasn't the True King of Light and you weren't the Oracle? What if we were just two ordinary people named Noctis and Luna, going about our day the same way most people do? Wake up, have breakfast, send the kids to school, go to work, come home, have dinner, watch TV, and go to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. And maybe sometimes we'd take the occasional family vacation to Galdin Quay or Altissia if we could afford it. And we'd live in a decent apartment with a landlord breathing down our necks for the rent every month, or in a modest two-story house that would take us twenty years to pay off. And we'd drive around in a minivan or an SUV or something instead of a luxury convertible." He took a few gulps from his glass of water once he was finished. "Or something like that, I guess."

"It sounds like you've answered your own question."

"Maybe I have," he said. "I was more wondering if that sounded appealing to you. I mean, it's not like we ever asked for the fate of the whole damn world to fall on our shoulders, you know?"

"It's hard to imagine myself living that sort of life," said Luna. "But it's not that I couldn't see myself being happy. I guess I've grown so accustomed to life as the Oracle that I never really gave it much thought before."

That statement was mostly true, but not completely. Devoted as she was to her duty as the Oracle, there was still a faint little voice buried deep in the back of Luna's mind that would occasionally surface in quiet moments, empty patches in her usually busy schedule, to raise that question: "What if?" And for a while she would humor that little voice and lose herself in daydreaming. Even as she sat at that table with Noctis, she began to picture little flashes of lives spent with him as they immersed themselves in the ordinary, playing in a montage in her mind.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _A heart that's full up like a landfill_

 _A job that slowly kills you_

 _Bruises that won't heal_

She envisioned herself in that beautiful white dress and Noctis in his best suit sharing their first dance as husband and wife at the Citadel in Insomnia as friends, family, palace guards, and an assortment of media photographers watched. But as they let themselves get swept up in the music, they remained unaware of the scenery gradually transforming to a humble winery somewhere in the countryside, surrounded here only by their closest friends and loved ones. And Noctis's friend Prompto was the only one with a camera.

 _You look so tired, unhappy_

 _Bring down the government_

 _They don't, they don't speak for us_

And then suddenly they were marching in the streets of the imperial capital city Gralea in protest of Niflheim's invasion of Lucis. They were shouting chants over and over again and hoisting signs displaying slogans like "LEAVE LUCIS ALONE" and "NO BLOOD FOR CRYSTALS" in large bold uppercase letters. Her mind's eye began to zoom out, and soon they blended in among thousands of other faces.

 _I'll take a quiet life_

 _A handshake of carbon monoxide_

 _And no alarms and no surprises_

 _No alarms and no surprises_

 _No alarms and no surprises_

Luna stripped off a bulky hazmat suit at the end of another long and grueling workday among all the other women at the power plant in Lestallum, her hair loose and unkempt as it dropped down to her shoulders, and she coughed a bit as she tasted the stale air and wished her co-workers a good night.

Noctis was seated at a desk in the main office of the Leville several blocks away from the plant, reviewing the hotel's financial records from the last month. Then he heard a bell ringing at the front desk signaling the arrival of a new guest looking to check in and hurried out the door to help them. But instead he spotted Luna, who had taken some time to clean herself up after work, at the counter with a playful grin on her face. He returned that smile and walked over, thankful that at least one of them had thought of something to do on their date that night.

 _Silent, silent_

 _This is my final fit_

 _My final bellyache_

A pair of energetic young children burst out the front door of a little house in the Insomnia suburbs, racing to catch the school bus as Umbra and Pryna chased each other around a fenced-in yard. Luna watched them board the bus, waving affectionately as she leaned against the doorway. Suddenly Noctis, clad in a professional-looking suit and tie, hurried back into the house to retrieve his briefcase, which he'd left by the door the first time he went out to his car. He looked at her and shrugged self-deprecatingly, and she gave him a little kiss and teased him as she sent him off.

 _With no alarms and no surprises_

 _No alarms and no surprises_

 _No alarms and no surprises please_

Then Noctis was working on a car in the Hammerhead garage and abruptly stopped for a moment, mumbling swear words to himself because he'd taken the wrong size wrench. Fortunately Luna had already found the right one, and she handed it to him with a little smile before he could even start to check his tool chest. He smiled back at her and went back to work.

And then the two of them were living together in a house out in the Duscae countryside, raising crops to sell at the Lestallum market. She was far along in her first pregnancy, but felt guilty about not being able to help Noctis as much as usual. His solution was to let her sit in a wheelbarrow with a big bag of vegetable seeds beside her, and though he'd only been kidding he ended up gently pushing it along as she scattered the seeds into the soil.

 _Such a pretty house_

 _And such a pretty garden_

They were lying together in a field of sylleblossoms not far from Luna's home in Tenebrae, watching the sun go down and the stars of the night sky begin to show themselves as the mountains loomed in the distance. It was such a beautiful sight that she didn't even realize he had picked a few sylleblossoms for her until he tapped her on the shoulder. She accepted the flowers eagerly and leaned in to kiss him—

 _And no alarms and no surprises (GET ME OUT OF HERE)_

And suddenly a bluish-black ooze emerged from the ground in front of them, and the massive hand of an Iron Giant burst forth as it climbed up from the depths. Noctis and Luna were startled by this and jolted to their feet in hopes of fleeing. But everywhere they turned, other daemons were appearing out of nowhere: the massive snake-like Naga with her human-looking face and horrible shrieks, the half-woman half-spider Arachne, the skeleton warriors with their giant scythes, the gooey shapeshifting Flans – all surrounding them, leaving them little to no chance of escape. They looked around from one daemon to the next, and then back at each other in mutual horror.

 _No alarms and no surprises (GET ME OUT OF HERE)_

It was a wake-up call for Luna, a sobering reminder that had she and Noctis been born as ordinary people instead of the Oracle and the King of Light, no matter where they went or what they did, they would likely have been helpless against the daemons and powerless to stop the Starscourge.

 _No alarms and no surprises please._

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The prince's gentle snickering snapped Luna out of her little reverie, the sound making her jump in her seat a little, and just like that she was back in Altissia with him waiting for their dinners to arrive.

"You never were the type who'd want someone else doing your job for you," Noctis said, raising his glass of pinot noir like he was preparing to make a toast.

She nodded her head, acknowledging the truth of his words. Her daydreams were nice, but that was all they could ever be. There wasn't much use in dwelling on what might have been. And so Luna silently promised herself to silence that nagging little voice in her head for good, to never again raise the question of "what if," to continue committing herself to ending the Starscourge if only so others could get to live those lives without fear.

"Well, what can I say?" Luna said, raising her wine glass too. "Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

They both laughed a little at that. Then they reached across the table, tapped their wine glasses together as if to say cheers, and drank.

* * *

At the end of the night Noctis escorted Luna all the way back to her room, holding her hand as they ascended the staircase. It was strange, she thought, how they could spend an entire day together and still have it feel like it wasn't long enough. Perhaps she would invite him inside for a cup of tea, or two, or maybe even three. She wondered if he would take that invitation as a euphemism for something else a young couple might do to cap off a date night. Then she wondered whether she really would have intended it as a euphemism in the first place – and the most likely answer to that question was no. By the time they reached the top of the stairs she had decided the best way to avoid that potentially awkward and confusing situation was to let the date end here.

"Well, here we are," Noctis said as they approached Luna's door.

"Mm-hmm."

"So, um… did you have a good time today?" he asked. "I know I did."

Hearing him say that came as a relief to Luna. Even after all of her secrecy and the physical inadequacy caused by her condition, he still considered the day worthwhile. And she did too, even if she couldn't be as active a participant in Cactuar games and Chocobo races as she would have liked. But somehow a simple "yes" didn't feel like a strong enough answer. An idea for how to remedy that soon came to mind, an idea she found exciting but would surely not have followed through on if she thought about it too much. And so, before she could stop herself and give it a second thought, she leaned over and gave Noctis a quick peck on the cheek.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"That'll work," he said.

As he looked at her he thought of that photo beside her wedding dress. That was where he'd seen this exact smile before, though he much preferred getting to see it in person. His goal for the day had been to make her as happy as she looked in that picture, and he hoped he'd succeeded.

"We really ought to do this again sometime," he continued. "I mean, obviously there won't be a carnival, but… well, you know what I mean."

"I'd like that," she said, her smile looking more somber this time.

"Me too. I just wish we'd had the chance to do something like this sooner, you know?"

"I know," said Luna, with a little nod of her head. "But I suppose with your duties as Prince and mine as Oracle, there may not have been that many chances in the first place. It's like you said: life has a knack for disrupting our plans."

"And I want that to change," Noctis told her. "I've waited a long time and I've come a long way just to see you. I can't just let you go again now that you're finally within reach."

As he said this he lifted a hand and reached over to touch her, gently brushing his fingers across her cheek. She took hold of his forearm before he could pull his hand away and tilted her head, resting it in his palm.

"I want that too, Noctis," she said. "More than you will ever know."

"We can make that happen. And I believe we will."

"You really think so? What if it's too late?"

"It's never too late," he assured her. "Luna… we have all the time in the world."

Luna could feel her heart start pounding harder and harder, his words having touched it in exactly the way she had always wanted. She envied his confidence, his optimistic outlook toward a future where they could pursue the life they wanted to build together. She wondered just how much Noctis knew of what would unfold as they each fulfilled their prophesized destinies. Perhaps he _did_ know and was simply taking a defiant "I'll have my cake and eat it too" attitude toward it.

For years, she had questioned whether to tell him the whole truth. He deserved to know, didn't he? But to see him standing there, looking at her the way he was, speaking so earnestly to her… she knew she didn't have the heart to say it. She just wanted Noctis to be happy, and the truth would make him very much the opposite. And if his desire to experience the world by her side after they'd saved it was really what kept him going through everything, then perhaps it was worth the strain on her conscience.

There were so many things racing through Luna's mind that she wanted to say, but in the end words failed her. So she took action instead: she reached for her King's face with both hands and pulled him into a kiss.

This forwardness caught Noctis off guard at first, but he was quick to adjust and reciprocate, breaking off the first one only to take the lead on the next one and the next. The intensity of each kiss was low, but the tenderness was high, the kind that was meant as nothing more than a mutual gesture of affection between two people who valued each other's happiness above all else.

"See?" he whispered after the last kiss was broken. "We're on our way already."

"I suppose we are," she said.

They were silent for a moment, and Luna wondered if perhaps Noctis had picked up the hint of sadness she'd detected in her voice. If he had, he wasn't showing any signs of it.

"Well, I guess I should be going now," he said. "Don't want to keep you up all night."

"Or keep your friends wondering where you are," she added, forcing a playful smirk.

"That too," he said, laughing softly. "Good night, Luna."

"Good night, Noctis."

With that, they let each other go and the prince turned to walk away. Luna stood in her doorway watching him take those first several steps, her hand gripping her doorknob but not turning it. There was still so much that had gone unsaid, and this felt like the right moment to say one particular thing, if not everything, that remained on her mind. And before she knew what she was doing, she was calling out to him in hopes that he might stop.

Sure enough, Noctis stopped and looked back at the sound of her voice. He didn't seem confused or irritated by her outburst, but simply patient, willing to let her collect herself enough to say what she wanted to say. And there was one thing above all others that Luna wanted to tell him, one thing she had always wanted to tell him face to face, and if she didn't say it now she might never get the chance again. She took a deep breath, squeezed her doorknob a little tighter, and finally told him.

"I love you," she said.

"Love you too," he replied with a warm smile, and then they parted ways. Luna watched him descend the staircase until she couldn't see him anymore. Once he was gone she gently opened the door and went inside.

* * *

Noctis stepped back out onto the streets of Altissia that night feeling like a new man, carrying himself back to the hotel with a confidence he hadn't felt in quite some time. It was the sort of mood where all felt right with the world and he wanted to let the whole world know, not that there would have been that many people around to hear it. The crowds had dwindled to the occasional stragglers still hanging around the cafés, or stargazing from aboard gondolas, or in some cases staggering back home in a somewhat drunken stupor. There were some souvenir shops still peddling their wares; the fireworks were the last major event of the carnival but it wouldn't officially end until the top of the next hour. There was also music still playing through the loudspeakers around town. It was a jubilant, jazzy brass band sound with a charismatic baritone on lead vocals singing about how lucky he felt to be in love.

Before Noctis could let himself get swept up in the music and lyrics, he felt a buzz in his pocket – his phone was ringing. He pulled it out and answered the call.

"Hey Noct," came Prompto's high-pitched voice from the other end of the line. "We're back at the hotel and, uh… we noticed that you're not. You still out and about?"

"I just walked Luna back to her room."

"Ah, ever the gentleman," Prompto said, his tone lightly teasing. "So, um… look, I don't wanna venture into 'too much information' territory here. But if you're planning on, uh… you know… spending the rest of the night with your lady fair, could you let us know before Iggy and Gladio freak out, come looking for you, and drag me along instead of letting me sleep?"

Noctis chuckled at that, musing that it must have been a busy day at the carnival for the other members of his entourage if someone as energetic as Prompto was this eager to retire for the night. He wondered how much time they'd spent at the Cactuar game; something told him Gladiolus in particular would have gotten a kick out of it and then justified his repeated attempts as "extra training sessions." Or perhaps Prompto would have tried over and over to beat Noctis's time at the Chocobo races – well, when he wasn't darting all over the place for photo opportunities.

"Relax, Prompto," said Noctis. "I'm on my way back to the hotel now. Shouldn't be much longer."

"Cool. You planning on giving us the juicy details when you get back?"

"Some of them."

"What a tease," Prompto said, stifling a yawn. "All right, man. I'll see you in a few."

"See you soon," Noctis said, and with that he hung up.

Having checked in with his friends, the prince was now able to refocus his attention on that catchy song that was still playing in the background. He started nodding his head and snapping his fingers to the beat as he walked, not caring if anyone happened to think he looked silly. Still, he wondered just how much he would tell the others about his date with Luna. Obviously he would tell them about the games they'd played and the silly hats they'd tried on, and Ignis would likely be curious about the food they'd had, what with his never-ending search for new recipes. The things he'd learned about his father's death and Luna's health could probably wait until later, but the rest felt like fair game. They'd probably give him some grief over the night-ending mutual confession, but he knew they'd really be happy for him and Luna both.

He spotted a gondola dock nearby and remembered that it could take him directly to the hotel, so he made his way over intending to direct the gondolier to the Leville station. As he approached the dock he could still faintly hear that song playing from a speaker nearby, though it sounded like it was approaching its end.

" _If this is just the beginning,_ " the singer crooned, " _my life is gonna be beautiful!_ "

And for the first time since the day he'd left Insomnia, Noctis understood exactly how that singer felt.

* * *

Gentiana's eyes were shut as she entered the moonlit living room, as they so often were, but she didn't need them to know exactly where the Oracle was. She had served as something of a guardian angel, so to speak, since the day Lady Lunafreya had been born, though her primary role was as the Messenger from the gods. She mostly stuck by the Fleuret girl's side, but would sometimes whisk herself away to check in on Noctis and his comrades.

Lady Lunafreya had been back from her outing with the Chosen King for some time, yet she had never left the doorway. Her entrance had been so hushed that it didn't even disturb her dogs, who were both asleep in the bedroom. She had shut the door behind her but still had yet to remove her hand from the knob. Her back was pressed against the door with one foot lifted upon it, and her head had drooped toward the floor with her eyes shut and a hand clasped over her mouth. She drew deep breaths and exhaled slowly as if to settle her nerves.

"Welcome back, Lady Lunafreya," the Messenger greeted her. "I trust you have enjoyed your day."

She knew the answer, of course. She had been tailing the two from time to time throughout the day, silently keeping watch from the shadows and prepared to intervene at a moment's notice if need be. Neither of them had ever been aware of her presence, but she preferred it that way. They had already been through so much and would soon go through much more, and so she was content to let them enjoy their long-awaited reunion.

Luna jolted a bit, startled by the break in the silence, and opened her eyes as she turned her attention to Gentiana. She inhaled deeply once more and let her hand fall away from her mouth.

"It was wonderful," she said, forcing herself to smile as her voice began to break.

Finally Luna let go of the door and clasped her hands together as she slowly approached Gentiana, hoping she wouldn't disturb her dogs. She began trembling noticeably with each step, either from her emotional state or the general chill that always seemed to be in the air whenever Gentiana was nearby.

"It seems the Chosen King knows not the full extent of what must be done to end the Starscourge," Gentiana observed, "but the Oracle… she worries for their future because of what she _does_ know."

"I promise you," said Luna, "I will not falter in my duty as Oracle, and I will not have anyone else fulfill it in my place."

She stopped dead in her tracks suddenly as if she couldn't handle another step, and once more her eyes shut and her head dropped toward the floor as she raised her hand back to her mouth.

"But still," she went on, her voice barely above a whisper, "I don't understand…"

The question on her mind was one she had only asked Gentiana once before. She had been so much younger when she had first learned of her preordained fate, and in a similar emotional state – but that had been because it had frightened her to hear of it. Fear was not the cause this time.

"Why must _this_ be the only way?" she asked. And with that, Luna buried her face in the palms of her hands and started to cry.

Gentiana's eyes opened at the sound of it, though she wasn't startled by it; indeed, nothing could make her lose her cool. Still, though she knew things would work out for the best if everything went according to the prophecy, she felt a pang of sorrow for Lady Lunafreya – and for Prince Noctis, for that matter. Among her kind she had always held the most fondness and esteem for humanity, feeling inspired by their potential and touched by their displays of emotion. And over the years she'd spent watching over Lady Lunafreya and Prince Noctis, she'd grown attached to them most of all. If only Ifrit hadn't been so stubborn… if he could have seen in humanity what she had always seen, then all of this would have been unnecessary. But Gentiana knew it was too late to change the Infernian's mind now. And so she simply approached Lady Lunafreya and gently placed her hand upon her shoulder, a cold touch with warm intentions.

"Dry your tears, Oracle," Gentiana said, her voice as soft and ethereal as always as she embraced Luna. "Though the road ahead is harsh, the struggle shall prove itself worthwhile. And in time, you and your King shall both be rewarded with all of the joy and all of the peace that life has denied you."

Luna believed these words to be true, yet they still brought her little comfort. She wanted those things _now,_ even as she understood the futility of her wish. And once more she thought of Noctis, of the blissful obliviousness he still lived with, and how much the truth would hurt when it all came to light. But she could not risk making him think there was a way to save the world while saving themselves. It was something she'd accepted as inevitable long ago, yet now the heartache had returned in full force – her punishment, it seemed, for following her heart instead of listening to her own logic. Perhaps it would have been easier to keep accepting their fates had they stayed apart, if Noctis was still some distant beacon on the horizon that Luna could never reach. But to refuse him (and herself, for that matter) even this one day of happiness struck her as an act of somehow even greater cruelty.

"We have all the time in the world," he'd said. No they didn't. But all the young Oracle could do about it was let Gentiana try to console her as she mourned not only the unenviable past, but also the impossible future.

* * *

 **THE END**

 _[closing theme: Coldplay, "Postcards From Far Away"]_

* * *

 _If you want a happy ending,_

 _that depends, of course,_

 _on where you stop your story._

\- Orson Welles

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE**

And so ends this failed attempt at fluff… not that I ever intended to succeed at that, mind you.

The title of this story comes from James Bond's last line of dialogue in _On Her Majesty's Secret Service_ (the one with George Lazenby as 007), a line that also provided the title of Louis Armstrong's theme song. I'd give you the full context, but then I'd be spoiling a film that came out in 1969, and where's the fun in that?

The T-shirts that appear early in the story were based on actual T-shirts I've seen being sold on the boardwalk and will never ever buy.

I went back and forth a lot on whether to include the song in the "normal life" montage, but it had so much influence over the creation of that scene that I decided to put it in there; as much as I like incorporating music into my writing, this bit is as close as I'll ever get to a straight-up songfic. The song is "No Surprises" by Radiohead, a sad song that sounds like a pleasant dream, a song about rejecting a mundane ordinary life while also resigning yourself to the unsatisfying life you're going to have. In the original context that unsatisfying life _is_ mundane and ordinary, but I didn't have to tweak it much to make it work. I may have been too late for Valentine's Day and the Moogle Chocobo Carnival, but at least I finished this in time for the 20th anniversary of _OK Computer_.

Other musical notes: the song that plays while Noctis is on his way back to the hotel is "Ain't That A Kick In The Head" by Dean Martin. And while I usually end my stories with a song lyric, Coldplay's "Postcards From Far Away" is an instrumental that I thought suited the mood of the ending best – even the _title_ fits considering their relationship survives thanks to what is essentially a series of postcards from far away. Oh, and at the risk of sounding like Patrick Bateman, Thrice's "The Weight" is one of my favorite songs about marriage and commitment; its lyrics are as positive and uplifting as anything I've heard in rock.

And it took me a few tries, but I finally did it: I finally wrote a _Final Fantasy_ story without any references to other games or cameos by characters from other games! Hooray for me.

Thanks for reading!


End file.
